1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates first to a method of driving a pile or the like into and out of the ground using a hammer provided with locking dogs connected directly or indirectly therewith, in which the pile has also been provided with locking dogs. A connection can be established between the locking dogs of the pile and the hammer to enable driving the pile out of the ground by means of the hammer.
In applying this method, the hammer will in general be part of a pile driver device. Although in most cases, a pile driver device is only used for driving a pile into the ground, there are cases where the pile should be removed again, for which upwardly directed strokes must be exerted.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
With the known pile driver devices suitable for this purpose, the locking dogs of the hammer and the pile are aligned. A link provided with a slotted hole is fitted across two dogs lying above each other for establishing the coupling between the hammer and the pile.
Generally, two radially opposite links will be present for establishing a proper connection between the hammer and the pile. The links are supported by means of hoisting cables, which can be operated from the pile driver device.
Further, means have been provided for releasing the links from the locking dogs connected to the hammer, so that the hammer sits free on the pile and the pile can be driven into the ground without difficulty. Only when the pile should be driven out of the ground, are the links fixedly received between the locking dogs of hammer and pile.
A difficulty with the known method is that mounting the links on the locking dogs is time-consuming and cumbersome, in particular when it concerns a pile driven obliquely into the ground, a so-called shore.